Andrew’s lonely life in Norfolk as King shuns him during Sandringham weekend

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's apparent isolation from the Royal Family has been amplified by King Charles reportedly choosing not to visit him while staying just minutes away at Sandringham over the bank holiday weekend. According to The Times, the King arrived on Sunday at Wood Farm, a farmhouse on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, located next to Marsh Farm[1], where Mountbatten-Windsor now lives. But Charles would not see his brother during his stay, the paper reported.

The news comes as Thames Valley Police said it had widened its criminal investigation[2] into Mountbatten-Windsor's possible misconduct in public office to include sexual misconduct claims. Mountbatten-Windsor[3] has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. "He's totally isolated as far as we know," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said of the former prince. "The King obviously wishes to distance himself as much from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor whilst the police investigation is going on," he added.

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EasyJet flight diverts to Rome due to power bank in luggage

The London-bound flight made an emergency landing after a passenger alerted crew of the charger's presence.

Caption: FILE PHOTO: EasyJet aircrafts are seen on the tarmac at Terminal 1, marking the official opening of the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) "Willy Brandt", in Schoenefeld near Berlin, Germany October 31, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File PhotoPhotographer: Hannibal HanschkeProvider: REUTERSSource: X02197

Passengers forced to stay in Rome overnight

Last Tuesday, a flight full of tourists returning from popular Egyptian holiday resort Hurghada was grounded in Italy when one of them told the plane staff they had left a portable charger in their hold bag.

The passengers were put up in hotels and in the airport and returned to London the following day.

TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

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Lithium batteries pose huge fire risk, experts say

EasyJet said the captain decided to divert "in line with safety regulations", as portable chargers are liable to catch fire. In November 2025 a man was left with burns to his legs after his charger ignited at Melbourne airport.

Examples of bargain summer flights for holidaymakers include a GBP40.99 one-way ticket from Gatwick to Menorca with easyJet on 22 August (Photo: Jerome Kelagopian/PA)

Analysis

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A closer look at the detail

Most airlines don't allow power banks in checked baggage and say they cannot go in overhead compartments or be used to charge in flight.

Some major airlines have warned of plunging profit margins, as well the possibility of more expensive fares (Photo: Getty)A woman boards a commercial aircraft with hand luggage.

She glances over her shoulder and smiles at the camera. - stock photo. (Photo: Getty)

The International Civil Aviation Organisation introduced new restrictions for power banks in March, limiting the size of the chargers.

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@theipaper

Airlines have been warned not to book holidaymakers on flights that may be cancelled after a slew of offers for cheap deals to Spain, Greece and Portugal were released in a bid to boost bookings. Airlines are increasingly warning of looming flight cancellations over the peak summer holiday months due to rocketing jet fuel costs caused by conflict in the Middle East, the Civil Aviation Authority has said. You can? original sound - The i Paper - The i Paper[4][8]

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Ebola cases in DR Congo jump - how worried should you be?

Caption: DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola treatment centre (ETC) in Butembo.

Doctors and healthcare workers in the Ebola treatment centre run by the humanitarian medical aid organization 'Medecins Sans Frontiere's, Doctors Without Borders. This tenth epidemic is the biggest ever recorded in DRC and is particularly worrying in the area of Butembo - Beni. Medical staff with protective clothing, full protective suits, masks, gloves and glasses. (Photo by: Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Photographer: AndiaProvider: Andia/Universal Images Group viaSource: Universal Images Group Editorial

As the number of suspected cases of Ebola climbs over 900, the country is reportedly struggling to contain the outbreak, leading to fears that the disease could spread.

Cases continue to grow as death toll rises

The official death toll in the DRC has risen to 119, though regional totals add up to 220.

The cases are mainly concentrated mainly in the eastern Ituri province. The WHO has declared "very high" international concern.

Caption: Bertrand Bisimwa, the M23 coordinator for political and diplomatic affairs, attends a meeting with local authorities and health ministry officials to discuss preventive measures aimed at limiting the spread of the Ebola virus and protecting the population in Goma on May 17, 2026.

A first case of Ebola virus infection has been reported in Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo controlled by the M23 armed group, with the WHO declaring an international health alert on May 17, 2026. According to figures released Saturday by the African Union's health agency (Africa CDC), 88 deaths likely caused by the virus have been recorded, out of 336 suspected cases. One death has been reported in neighboring Uganda.

As the epicenter of the outbreak is located in a hard-to-reach area, few samples have been tested in laboratories and the figures are based largely on suspected cases. (Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP via Getty Images)Photographer: JOSPIN MWISHAProvider: AFP via Getty ImagesSource: AFPCopyright: AFP or licensors

WORLD

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How serious is the new strain?

The Bundibugyo strain, which is circulating in this outbreak, has no approved vaccine or treatment, meaning the mortality rate for those who catch it is high.

Medical workers lead a man with suspected Ebola into a specialised patients ward (Photo: John Wessels/AFP)Members of the M23 armed group sit on a pickup truck during a patrol as women carrying fruits walk past a market, following the takeover of the city by the M23 movement in Bukavu (Photo: Luis TATO / AFP)

Fighting between militant groups with links to Isis and regional countries have displaced a million people in the region, meaning the virus is hard to control.

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What we know as boys spared jail after raping teenage girls

The Prime Minister has called the case "appalling" and praised a review into the sentences, after one of the victims gave an anonymous interview to the BBC.

Caption: EVESHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 13: A general view of the signs for the prison HMP Long Lartin that was holding Abu Qatada near Evesham on November 13, 2012 in Worcestershire, England.

Abu Qatada was released on bail, having won his appeal against deportation claiming he would not get a fair trial in Jordan, where he is accused of plotting bomb attacks. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)Photographer: Matt CardyProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: 2012 Getty Images

Judge spares rapists jail to avoid 'criminalising unneccessarily'

Two girls, then aged 15 and 14, were raped in separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in November 2024 and January 2025, by two 14-year-old boys. Another boy, then 13, was also convicted for his involvement in the second attack. They pled not guilty but were convicted in a trial, and the judge gave them Youth Rehabilitation Orders instead of prison time.

NEWS

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Exclusive

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One in eight women have experienced joint mortgage abuse, according to charity Surviving Economic Abuse (Photo: Getty)

Sentence hit 'like a rock straight in my face'

He almost made it seem as if what the boys did was ok in the eyes of the law because they were children.

Speaking anonymously, one of the victims questioned why she had gone through the "pain" of "reliving everything" in the trial for the boys not to be properly punished.

PM praises victims

The girls at the heart of this case have shown extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances. This is an appalling case and it is right that law officers are urgently reviewing their sentences

Prime minister sir keir starmerCaption: UNSPECIFIED, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 21: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits a children's activity centre in Essex on May 21, 2026 in Unspecified, England.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are visiting the children's activity center in Essex as they announce the "Great British Summer Savings" scheme, aimed at easing financial pressure on families across the UK. (Photo by Kin Cheung- WPA Pool/Getty Images)Photographer: WPA PoolProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Unduly Lenient Scheme review

Attorney general received 'multiple requests'

'Urgently reviewing'

The government's process for checking judgments has been triggered.

Court of Appeal referral

They have 28 days to decide if the case should be reviewed in the higher court.

Resentencing

Any new information as well as the trial evidemce is presented to a new judge.

OPINION

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'Complete distance from Andrew'

The King has distanced himself from Mountbatten-Windsor since at least February, when the former Duke of York was arrested by officers on suspicion of misconduct in public office after it was alleged he shared confidential material[9] with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, his friend, during his time as a trade envoy for the UK. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

Following the arrest, the King expressed "the deepest concern" about Mountbatten-Windsor's news. He said: "Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," in a statement that underscored the severity of the crisis[10] to the monarchy. Mountbatten-Windsor moved to Marsh Farm in February after he was forced to leave his 30-room Royal Lodge mansion following the release of files relating to Epstein that prompted fresh scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor.

Charles and Mountbatten-Windsor have not been seen together in public for months - they were last pictured together at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September. "So far as the King is concerned, obviously he wants to keep a complete distance from Andrew," Fitzwilliams said.

Mountbatten-Windsor's solitary life

Mountbatten-Windsor is understood to lead a mostly solitary and sedentary life[11] now, spending his time mainly watching TV and walking his dogs. Workmen were photographed installing Sky TV shortly before he moved into Marsh Farm, and more recently, he was out walking his dogs when a man allegedly threatened him.

He is reportedly not on the guest list for the wedding of his nephew Peter Phillips - the son of his sister Princess Anne - who is set to marry Harriet Sperling next month. The bank holiday snub, however, may not mean that the former prince has been completely cut off from the King, Fitzwilliams said. "What we don't know is how often they've spoken on the phone, and the intermediaries, and so on.

All sorts of things can go on without us actually knowing," he said. Mountbatten-Windsor's brother and sister-in-law, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, visited[12] him over Easter. Royal experts previously told The i Paper that the King will never be able to entirely ditch the former prince, and in private, will always support him[13].

Isolation extends to Mountbatten-Windsor's family

The public isolation Mountbatten-Windsor is experiencing seems to have extended to his children, although it is not clear for his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie whether it was their choice or down to direction from senior royals.

The sisters have kept their royal titles and privileges even as their father was stripped of his titles in October last year. "The issue is coming up with Royal Ascot and Beatrice and Eugenie. They didn't attend the garden parties, they didn't attend for Easter with the royal family, and then it was reported they wouldn't be future royal events, including Royal Ascot," Fitzwilliams said.

Royal Ascot is typically attended by the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family who spend the day watching the horse races from the royal enclosure. Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct while attending the racing event in June 2002 is understood to be under scrutiny by police. Officers investigating him are looking into an allegation that he behaved inappropriately towards a woman at Royal Ascot[14], The Sunday Times reported.

It is not clear whether police received a report of an alleged offence around the time of the incident, or whether it was reported to officers more recently.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "We cannot go into specifics of the investigation, but we are following all reasonable lines of inquiry."

References

1. ^ Marsh Farm (inews.co.uk)
2. ^ widened its criminal investigation (inews.co.uk)
3. ^ Mountbatten-Windsor (inews.co.uk)
4. ^ @theipaper (www.tiktok.com)
5. ^ holidays (www.tiktok.com)
6. ^ vacation (www.tiktok.com)
7. ^ iran (www.tiktok.com)
8. ^ ? original sound - The i Paper - The i Paper (www.tiktok.com)
9. ^ shared confidential material (inews.co.uk)
10. ^ underscored the severity of the crisis (inews.co.uk)
11. ^ mostly solitary and sedentary life (inews.co.uk)
12. ^ visited (inews.co.uk)
13. ^ will always support him (inews.co.uk)
14. ^ behaved inappropriately towards a woman at Royal Ascot (inews.co.uk)